The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle structures, and more particularly to an impact energy deflecting and absorption device for a vehicle such as a passenger car, trucks and light vehicles, and cable cars.
The vehicles of the present disclosure have a left and a right longitudinal member. The deflecting device may be arranged in front of a front wheel which protects the front wheel in the event of a collision. An offset frontal collision is to be understood as meaning a frontal collision where the colliding vehicles move toward each other with directional vectors which are substantially parallel but are offset laterally in relation to one another. In vehicles, the front end which does not interface with the left and right longitudinal members constitutes areas which are less rigid than the areas that do interface with the left and right longitudinal members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,436 discloses vertical deflecting plates which are aligned and curved in the horizontal plane such that they positively pivot the wheel inward in the event of a collision. However, these deflecting plates are also constructed in a very heavy manner if they are actually to have this effect, and they likewise require a particularly heavy bumper involving the above-mentioned disadvantages. However, above all, the effect of the front deflecting plate of the '436 patent is inadequate for kinematic reasons. If the front deflecting plate of the '436 patent is arranged at a sufficient distance in front of the wheel and does not extend over the outer vertical boundary surface of the wheel, the outer end of the front deflecting plate pivots inward on a circular arc. The outer end of the front deflecting plate then touches the wheel within the plate's outer vertical boundary surface and can no longer pivot inward. On the contrary, the front deflecting plate destroys the wheel and the deflecting action does not occur.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 2,519,429 discloses a bumper, on the swept-back parts of which are fixed on the vehicle, deflectors are fitted which are displaceable counter to the force of a tension spring in order to push the vehicle laterally away from the obstacle. From a certain displacement to the rear, the deflectors tip to the rear. In the process, the deflector only bear against a point of the part fixed on the vehicle, and are therefore freely movable and cannot absorb or exert any force. Since the deflector is freely movable, there is no kinematic chain which could cause a wheel, either a wheel of the dedicated vehicle or of its collision counterpart, to turn inward. In addition, in the event of an offset frontal collision, that part of the bumper which is fixed on the vehicle will deform in such a manner that the deflector presses the wheel situated behind the deflector into the vehicle. However, this is precisely such an intrusion which should be prevented.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,836 discloses a bumper, to the parts of which, which are fixed on the vehicle, deflectors which are swept-back toward the front are fitted in order to deflect oncoming bodies. For this purpose, the deflectors are connected displaceably in their longitudinal direction at a point in the vicinity of their outer end to a cross-member 16, which is supported in relation to the vehicle via spring cups, and are connected to one another at their front end. In the event of a collision between the two displaceable supports, the two deflectors are jointly pressed in toward the cross-member 16 and are therefore brought into their extended position and the spring cups are pressed in. The special case of a collision outside one of the two displaceable supports is not provided for and is not discussed.
As light weight members capable of absorbing the high energy of impact forces are applied to the vehicles and the like, columnar energy absorption members may be made of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) such as that disclosed in JP10-235763A. These columns are hollow and may be progressively compressed and fail when a compressive force acts in the axial direction of each column to exhibit high energy absorption capability.